Sitting at a desk for 40 hours a week can really take a toll on your back, eventually leading to chronic back pain. Luckily, there are specific things you can do to prevent back pain when you work in an office. Try these four tips to prevent and minimize office-related back pain:

Stretch Often

One of the main reasons office workers experience frequent back pain is that working at a desk involves staying in one position for many hours a day, which easily leads to tense muscles. To help counteract this, make a point of stretching once an hour or so. Many stretches can be completed at your desk without the need to get up, while still being quite effective.

Raise Your Monitor

Computer monitors are often set up to be too low, which means you have to tilt your head down when looking at it, leading to neck and back strain. An easy solution is to buy something called a "monitor riser" online or at any computer store. This allows you to raise the height of your monitor to the position that is most comfortable for you. Ideally you will be able to look straight ahead at your monitor without tilting your head downward or upward at all.

Switch to a Phone Headset

If you spend a lot of time calling clients or otherwise talking on the phone, awkwardly cradling a phone against your neck while you type is just asking for back and neck pain. Instead, make the switch to a phone headset that fits comfortably over your ears and keeps your hands free for typing or jotting down notes about the phone call. A good quality headset will also boost your call quality.

Upgrade to an Ergonomic Chair

A cheap, poorly designed chair can make your work day feel much longer since it's so uncomfortable and can also quickly lead to serious back pain. Ask whoever is in charge of purchases at your office if they would be open to upgrading your chair to a more ergonomic model, explaining that ergonomic chairs are designed to improve posture, properly support your lower back, and prevent back pain (which can lead to missed work.)

Following these tips will go a long way toward preventing office-related back pain. If you are already experiencing office-related back pain, be sure to make an appointment with a doctor specializing in back pain management. Contact a business, such as Southwest Florida Neurosurgical Associates, for more information.